


Who'll carry me without legs to run?

by mimirexx



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Doctor Jean Kirstein, Eren is really trying to help his hopeless friend, F/M, Fluff, Paralyzed Pieck Finger, Pining, Teasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29793381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimirexx/pseuds/mimirexx
Summary: When Jean saw Pieck being carried into the hospital like that, he didn't expect her to be the woman he always dreamt of. As a soon-to-be doctor, Jean has to be professional, however, Pieck is driving him crazy and he just has to ask her out. He's  affectionate and soft-hearted, yet a little clumsy, but Pieck is amused by that and finds it very endearing.An accident that paralyzed her leg turned out to be something beautiful, after all.
Relationships: Pieck Finger/Jean Kirstein
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay i just couldnt resist but write something for these two precious beans ;-; its gonna be much fluff and no angst this time just cause its them :) im gonna keep chapters here a little shorter so i can update more regularly so lets see! ill update the tags with each chapter!
> 
> This is in the same universe like my fic [Oddballs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21401365/chapters/50985817), about 3 years prior. I just had to give these two an own side story because they deserve more love in this fandom and i wanted to do my part of it!

Studying medicine and working in a hospital was tough. When the hospital was full, there were people groaning and moaning in every room of the huge building. Nurses were hurrying around, going this way and that. Doctors were barely seen because they were busy with treating the severely wounded ones and performing surgeries where it was needed. 

  
  


Jean Kirschtein was one of them- not a doctor per se, but on his way there. He was halfway through with his studies and was used to days like these already. It became part of his everyday life. 

  
  


The young man was very skilled and smart, a fast learner which was just perfect for his job. Every day was a new challenge which he tackled with all of his strength and knowledge. He already treated so many people and saved so many lives, he lost count. Seeing their grateful expression, the little gleam in their eyes and the relief in the patient’s family’s faces was something Jean could never get used to. It was touching his heart so deeply each and every time. 

  
  


Fortunately, it wasn’t a day like that when suddenly a young woman was being carried inside by her father. Compared to her father who looked scared to the bone, the girl still maintained a calm expression. If one looked close enough they could see that, deep inside those ash-gray eyes, there was fear. She was holding it back, probably for her father’s sake. 

  
  


“Someone help my daughter!” The man exclaimed in distress. “She can’t move her leg, someone please help us!” 

  
  


Jean saw the scene before him, saw the poor man carrying his daughter in his shaking arms, saw the lost expression on his face, saw how hopeless he was, the despair in his whole being. He decided to not waste another second as he made his way over to the two and quickly spoke words of assurance,

  
  


“Sir, you need to calm down and tell me what happened.” Jean waved a nurse over to get them a bed before setting his eyes on the two to put his focus on them. 

  
  


“I fell,” the girl explained and reached up to scratch her messy hair, “pretty bad. My leg felt weird after that and… well, I’m not feeling anything anymore. My back hurts too…” 

  
  


The brunet nodded and helped the man to lay his daughter on the bed when it was rolled over soon after. The girl hissed and rolled onto her side, pressing a hand against her hip. “Ah… shit.” She muttered with a breathless chuckle. 

  
  


“You’ll be alright,” Jean began rolling her bed towards the radiology department, her father following close and holding one of his daughter’s hands in both of his own. “What’s your name?” He asked next in attempts to ease the tension a bit. Silence was always awkward and made most people feel more anxious because they were so worried. Some distraction never harmed anyone. 

  
  


“Pieck,” the girl looked over at the doctor with half lidded eyes and a lazy smile. She didn’t give the impression of being in too much pain, which was a small relief for Jean. 

  
  


He nodded and returned her smile while they rounded a few corners. “My name is Jean. Do you still go to school?” He asked next. 

  
  


Pieck pressed her head into the pillow and gave a small hum. “University. Almost done, it’s my last few months.” 

  
  


“That sounds great. What are you studying?” 

  
  


“Ngh….” She groaned a bit as Jean opened a door and they entered a room. “Engineering,” her voice lowered towards the end as she took a look around the room they were in. There was a big table in the room with a big machine right over it. It wasn’t hard to guess what this room was used for. 

  
  


“Engineering is pretty awesome,” he pointed out. “A nurse will help you change into a gown so we can take an X-ray of your body. You will be brought into a room afterwards to rest while we take a look at the X-rays and find out what the issue is.” Jean explained in his calm tone and moved around so he was standing by her side instead, touching her shoulder comfortingly. “There’s no need for you to be scared. I think you’re doing an amazing job with staying calm.” 

  
  


Pieck nodded and smiled up at Jean. “I’m not scared,” she insisted and looked at her father next, “it’s gonna be fine.” 

  
  


The man was still shaking in concern and held his daughter’s hand firmly. “I know, you’re so strong,” he exhaled shakingly and let go of Pieck’s hand when a nurse entered the room with a few things in her hand. 

  
  


Jean then led the middle aged man out and brought him to the reception to take care of the paperwork until his daughter would be moved to her room. He kept an open and patient ear for every question the man had and tried to answer them the best he could with the knowledge he had this far. But he also explained that he was still in the middle of his studies and that he would tell one of the doctors in charge to have a more detailed conversation with him. Jean could only do as much as he knew and leave the rest to the more skilled personnel. 

  
  


While Jean was sitting there and helped with filling out the papers, he couldn’t help but wonder how beautiful that girl was. Her long, black, disheveled hair, her Greek nose, her dark and half lidded, relaxed eyes. Pieck looked like she just woke up from a long nap, joyful and messy like a child. She was 24 years old and only 1.55 meters tall, according to the papers Mr. Finger, Pieck’s father, was filling out. 

  
  


Somehow, he already began having a little crush on her. Well, who wouldn’t? She was older, she was beautiful, but Jean guessed she surely had a boyfriend already. Someone looking like Pieck couldn’t be single, so he tried not to think about it too much. He was a professional, he couldn’t let his emotions get out of control only because one pretty girl messed with his usually clear thoughts. 

  
  


By the time evening rolled around, the diagnosis was clear: Monoplegia. A complete paralysis of Pieck’s right leg. When she fell, her spinal cord got injured and damaged a part of the relay system. The signals to move don’t arrive at her leg, therefore she can’t move nor feel it. 

  
  


It definitely was a shock for both Pieck and her father. Mr. Finger took a bit longer to accept and understand what that meant. There was no cure for a paralysis, but with the right treatment there was still the possibility to recover partial muscle control. However, Pieck was lucky enough for the paralysis to ‘only’ affect one leg and not both. 

  
  


“I’ll survive it,” the girl assured her father, rubbing his hands with her small ones, “it could’ve been worse. I’m thankful it’s not so bad for me to sit in a wheelchair for my whole life. They said I could still walk with mobility devices.” 

  
  


“...You’re right.” The man nodded a bit before leaning over to kiss his daughter’s head. “Love you, Snug Bug.” 

  
  


“Love you too.” Pieck smiled and looked up at the two doctors who stood at her bed, one of whom was Jean. “Thank you for your help.” 

  
  


“That’s what we’re here for,” Jean said quickly and smiled, happy that the patient was already doing better now. “If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us.” 

  
  
  
  


The next few days were quite busy. Many patients were brought into the hospital with many different kinds of complaints. Some were injured, others were sick. The people at the hospital took care of every single person. 

  
  


One day, Jean was checking on a patient who also happened to be his friend from school: Eren. Well, friend was a weird word to describe their relationship. They argued a lot and always found a reason to fight while they still cared for each other. They were good friends who didn’t hold back from saying what was on their mind and were there for each other when they needed it. This friend was one of the reasons Jean decided to study medicine to begin with. 

  
  


“It’s weird, you know?” Jean said as he checked an infusion attached to his friend’s arm. “We only made small talk this far but… She’s so pretty and so cute.” 

  
  


“Ohhh, Jeanbo has a crush~,” the brunet teased. 

  
  


“Don’t call me that, asshole.” Jean huffed and sat down on the chair next to the bed. 

  
  


Seeing that the situation was rather serious, Eren sat up and reached over to punch Jean’s shoulder. “I’m not a professional at these things but why don’t you just tell her how you feel? Wouldn’t that make many things easier?” 

  
  


Jean rubbed his shoulder and shot the other a small glare. Then he sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Isn’t that a bit too rushed? I don’t know how she feels, what if she thinks I’m weird?” 

  
  


“Weirder than you already are? Don’t worry, that’s impossible,” the brunet chuckled. “Maybe try to tell her indirectly? I don’t know, like, ask her to drink coffee with you outside? Or just take a walk together? Something that gives you the chance to talk and get to know each other. You can’t expect her to like you if you never have a few moments alone without the doctor-patient thing between you, dumbass.” 

  
  


“Ah..” Jean let the words sink in for a few moments. Eren was right about him and Pieck not having had the chance to really get to know each other. They saw each other daily because of the checkups but didn’t interact much more than that, apart from the few glances they shared from afar. 

  
  


If he wanted Pieck to like him, he had to offer her a chance to know him. 

  
  


“You’re right, that’s what I’m gonna do!” Jean was confident now, ready to take the first step. 

  
  


Eren grinned and gave him a thumbs up. “That’s the spirit. But shave before asking her. Nobody wanna see that poor excuse of a beard on your face. Looks like pubic hair,” he cringed. 

  
  


“Hey!” Jean sounded in offense and raised a hand up to rub at his chin. “...Should I really shave?” 

  
  


“If you wanna have a minimal chance with her, yes. If you wanna look even more like a horse, then no.” 

  
  


“That’s enough-!” Jean snapped at Eren’s insults and stood up so he could drape an arm around the brunet’s neck. He grounded his knuckles against the top of his head and growled, “apologize, bastard!” 

  
  


Eren squirmed on his bed and tried to elbow the other. “Let go of me, asshole! It’s not my fault you look like a horse!” 

  
  


The two had their little fight which soon was dissolved into a fit of laughter. They barely had serious fights, just some bickering and playful quarrel. It was how their friendship worked; they insulted and teased each other on a daily basis but at the end of the day, they were still friends. It would look strange in some people’s eyes but neither of them ever cared. 

  
  


“Seriously, go shave, Horseface.” Eren readjusted his hair and tilted his head up to look at the tall male by his side. “You’re gonna thank me for it.” 

  
  


Jean sighed but figured that Eren had a point. The stubble could scratch and irritate Pieck’s soft skin if they ever kissed and Jean didn’t want to cause her any discomfort. “Fine, I’m gonna shave,” he agreed before shooting Eren a glare and pointing a finger at him. “Did you take your medication today?” 

  
  


The brunet groaned and rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Yes, doc. I took the pills.” He spoke in a mocking tone and pointed at the small table by his side, “check for yourself.” 

  
  


Jean did as told and checked the long box of medication Eren needed to take during the day. It was divided into morning, day and night pills he had to take at certain times which the nurses filled up every morning. Eren said the truth about taking his pills and that was a relief to Jean. He set the box back down and patted Eren’s shoulder gently. 

  
  


“Great. I gotta go now, my break is over,” he observed as he checked the time and shot Eren a grin. “I’ll be back tomorrow, don’t run away.” 

  
  


“Ha ha, very funny.” Eren deadpanned, glancing down at his leg. It was in a thick cast, so there was no way he could get up without aid, no matter how much he wanted to, and Jean knew that. “Go save some lives. I’m gonna take a nap.” He flicked his wrist and laid down, curling up on his side. 

  
  


Jean gave him a last smile before leaving the room to go and resume his work.

  
  
  
  


The next morning, Jean made sure he was clean shaven. His face was smooth as ever and still soft to the touch thanks to the body lotion he borrowed from one of his friends. His hair was styled like always but it was definitely neater than usually. This was an important day and he didn’t want his crush to turn him down because something about him wasn’t presentable. He wanted to impress Pieck while at the same time coax and flatter her so she couldn’t but say yes. That’s what he hoped to reach. 

  
  


The brunet reached the hospital and went through the habitual routine of checking in and getting ready for work. And once he was ready, he began his daily checkups on each patient he was co-treating with the experienced doctors. He was still a student and therefore wasn’t allowed to operate whatsoever. Jean had enough experience, however, to for example take over some of the daily checkups and see if the patients had any complaints. 

  
  


When he finally reached Pieck’s room, the tall brunet breathed deeply a few times before knocking on the door and stepping inside. “Good morning,” he greeted with a smile and closed the door behind himself, walking closer to Pieck’s bed. 

  
  


The ravenette seemed to have woken up only a few minutes before, judging by her yawns and eye rubs- which were making Jean’s heart beat faster. She looked too precious, like a cat waking up from a long nap. There was a smile on her lips when she met Jean’s gaze and she lifted one hand to give a small wave. 

  
  


“Mornin’,” she greeted in return before blinking. “What happened to your face?” 

  
  


“Hm? Oh,” Jean rubbed a hand over his chin subconsciously, “I shaved.” 

  
  


Pieck hummed before curling up on the bed like a cat. “That’s a shame. I kinda fancy your beard,” she hummed. 

  
  


That made Jean stare. “You… what?” 

  
  


“I think the goatee looked great on you,” the ravenette said very calmly with the most endearing smile on her lips and the softest eyes he ever saw. 

  
  


Jean blushed a bit, both in embarrassment and absolute adoration of the girl. She found liking in him? Well- his stubble. But still! Maybe that meant his chances to ask her out for a date were better than he thought. 

  
  


He cleared his throat a little and managed a smile as well. “That’s.. good to know,” he said, “How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort?”

  
  


“Actually, yes.” She placed her hand on her right thigh and rubbed it a little, “Sometimes I feel pain- is that normal? I mean, I don’t feel my leg at all but pain seems to still make its way there somehow.” 

  
  


Jean took a step closer. “May I?” After Pieck gave a nod, Jean placed a gentle hand on her thigh and felt for any abnormalities, being sure that his touches were nothing but gentle and tender on her bare skin. His eyes also stayed focused on her thigh and his hands didn’t dare to move anywhere intimate since it wasn’t necessary. As much as he secretly wanted it, he was modest and not some jerk who used such a situation for his own benefits. 

  
  


He wanted to become a doctor, after all. 

  
  


“I can’t feel anything wrong. It’s normal for you to feel phantom pain, ever heard of that?” 

  
  


Pieck shook her head and Jean took his hands back again. 

  
  


“Well, it’s pretty complex. To say it simply, your brain tricks you into thinking you feel pain when there actually isn’t. People with paralysis or amputations sometimes feel pain in their legs, even if the limb itself isn’t there anymore or you can’t feel it. You may feel a burning, cramping or itching sensation and it’s very different how long that lasts. Some people only feel it for a while while others may feel it for years and others not that much. That really isn’t predictable.” 

  
  


“I see…” The girl hummed and gave a short nod, “that’s pretty fascinating. I didn’t know something like that existed.” 

  
  


Jean smiled, somehow glad that Pieck wasn’t too scared about what he told her. Many people had bad reactions to such things, though Pieck was calm as ever. Another reason he really, _really_ wanted to go on a date with her. 

  
  


“You can get stronger painkillers for this, I’ll let the nurses know.” He grabbed his clipboard and scribbled down a few things so he wouldn’t forget about anything. “Is there something else that’s bothering you?” 

  
  


“No, that was the only thing. Thank you.” She laid her head back down as Jean nodded and kept writing- mainly to buy some time and think of a good way to ask her out. 

  
  


He already thought about it all night and now that he was this close to actually doing it, he was feeling so nervous. If he messed this up, he would have to let another student check on Pieck in the future- and Jean couldn’t stand the thought of someone else taking this part. It was now or never. 

  
  


“Great,” he put the pen down and moved his eyes back over at Pieck. After looking at her for a few moments in silence, and probably confusing the hell out of her, Jean exhaled quietly and gathered all of his bravery before finally speaking, “I was wondering… Would you like to leave this room and go outside a bit? I know it’s cold and all but we could drink some coffee in the garden, if you like.” 

  
  


The girl tilted her head, eyes locked with Jean’s. “Is that a date?” she asked quite blankly. 

  
  


Jean’s eyes widened, the blush creeping its way back to his cheeks. “N-no! I mean… not if you didn’t want it to be one. We can drink coffee as friends or… not at all- forget what I said…” 

  
  


Her soft giggles filled the room as Pieck nuzzled her face into her pillow. Jean could’ve sworn he saw them turning the faintest shade of pink for a split second. “That’d be lovely,” she admitted, “I’d like that. I’m really sick of this room.” 

  
  


Jean felt his whole body fill with victory. The first step was done! And Pieck really seemed interested in spending some time with him, so it was just perfect. It was working quite smoothly this far. 

  
  


“Great! I’m gonna pick you up later. Let’s say, after lunch?”

  
  


The girl nodded and looked up to meet Jean’s gaze. “I’ll be here,” she smiled. 

  
  


Jean tried not to smile too much in fears it might creep her out and waved. After they said their goodbyes and Jean left the room, he just about jumped in the air and held his fist up. “Did it!” He muttered to himself before quickly looking around to make sure nobody saw him. There were a few nurses at the end of the hallway but they were busy chatting and hopefully didn’t see him. 

  
  


He cleared his throat and walked to continue his checkups, acting as level headed as always. He was super excited on the inside and couldn’t wait for lunchtime to already come. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean and Pieck have their date! He’s a little oblivious to the sign she is giving him but Eren is there to help!

It was some agonizingly long hours later when Jean took his break. It was a bit later than lunchtime, so he could be sure Pieck had enough time to eat before they would go out. On his way to her room, he grabbed a wheelchair and soon arrived, knocking gently at the door before making his way inside. 

Pieck was sitting up this time and was busy looking out of the window. Her gaze shifted over when Jean entered and a smile soon grew on her lips. “Where’s your fancy coat?” She asked amusedly. 

“I’m on my break so I don’t wear it.” Jean rolled the wheelchair next to the bed and pushed the little handle with his foot so it wouldn’t roll away. He took his own jacket and scarf away from it and placed it aside as he smiled at Pieck, “have you already tried to get out of bed?” 

The ravenette nodded. “Yeah, the nurses helped me.” She scooted closer to the edge and slowly moved one leg over before she used her hands to pull the other along. Then she lifted her hands for Jean to help her. 

Jean gladly took both of Pieck’s hands and helped her stand up, keeping a firm yet gentle grip on her so she wouldn’t fall. It was the first time Pieck stood in front of him and he only now saw how short she really was. 

They were both standing and Pieck did not even reach his shoulder, she had to tilt her head all the way up to be able to look Jean in the eye and it was the most adorable she ever looked. So amused yet amazed, truly a sight to see from above. Jean had yet to mention her little hands which felt so warm and soft. She definitely used lotion or maybe even some oils to make her skin this tender, especially now in winter. 

“Uh, Jean?” Pieck broke the silence and tilted her head to the side. “As much as I like standing here with you, didn’t we want to go outside?” 

Shit. He was staring too long. 

Jean cleared his throat a little embarrassedly, “yes, yeah. Come, sit here.” Carefully, he guided her in front of the wheelchair and helped her to sit down, crouching down so he could adjust her paralyzed limb onto the footrest. 

Once Pieck was sitting, Jean opened the closet to fetch some thick socks and a fluffy blanket, together with her coat and a scarf he saw. He crouched down once again to help Pieck into her socks and handed her the coat to pull on herself before he draped the blanket over her lap and legs, making sure to cover her legs properly so none of the cold outside would get in contact with her skin. 

Finally, Jean took the scarf and wrapped it around her neck in slow and gentle movements. He looked into her eyes while he did so and was rewarded with a sweet smile that made his heart skip a beat. 

“Thank you,” came her soft mumble. 

He could only nod in response and soon moved over to get ready as well before he began pushing Pieck out of the room. They headed down the hallway, got into the elevator and soon exited the building all together. 

It was some agonizingly long hours later when Jean took his break. It was a bit later than lunchtime, so he could be sure Pieck had enough time to eat before they would go out. On his way to her room, he grabbed a wheelchair and soon arrived, knocking gently at the door before making his way inside. 

Pieck was sitting up this time and was busy looking out of the window. Her gaze shifted over when Jean entered and a smile soon grew on her lips. “Where’s your fancy coat?” She asked amusedly. 

“I’m on my break so I don’t wear it.” Jean rolled the wheelchair next to the bed and pushed the little handle with his foot so it wouldn’t roll away. He took his own jacket and scarf away from it and placed it aside as he smiled at Pieck, “have you already tried to get out of bed?” 

The ravenette nodded. “Yeah, the nurses helped me.” She scooted closer to the edge and slowly moved one leg over before she used her hands to pull the other along. Then she lifted her hands for Jean to help her. 

Jean gladly took both of Pieck’s hands and helped her stand up, keeping a firm yet gentle grip on her so she wouldn’t fall. It was the first time Pieck stood in front of him and he only now saw how short she really was. 

They were both standing and Pieck did not even reach his shoulder, she had to tilt her head all the way up to be able to look Jean in the eye and it was the most adorable she ever looked. So amused yet amazed, truly a sight to see from above. Jean had yet to mention her little hands which felt so warm and soft. She definitely used lotion or maybe even some oils to make her skin this tender, especially now in winter. 

“Uh, Jean?” Pieck broke the silence and tilted her head to the side. “As much as I like standing here with you, didn’t we want to go outside?” 

Shit. He was staring too long. 

Jean cleared his throat a little embarrassedly, “yes, yeah. Come, sit here.” Carefully, he guided her in front of the wheelchair and helped her to sit down, crouching down so he could adjust her paralyzed limb onto the footrest. 

Once Pieck was sitting, Jean opened the closet to fetch some thick socks and a fluffy blanket, together with her coat and a scarf he saw. He crouched down once again to help Pieck into her socks and handed her the coat to pull on herself before he draped the blanket over her lap and legs, making sure to cover her legs properly so none of the cold outside would get in contact with her skin. 

Finally, Jean took the scarf and wrapped it around her neck in slow and gentle movements. He looked into her eyes while he did so and was rewarded with a sweet smile that made his heart skip a beat. 

“Thank you,” came her soft mumble. 

He could only nod in response and soon moved over to get ready as well before he began pushing Pieck out of the room. They headed down the hallway, got into the elevator and soon exited the building all together. 

As they walked out, Pieck raised her open palms and watched the snowflakes dancing through the air. The white snow landed in her dark, messy hair and entangled with her locks. 

“You like the snow?” Jean chuckled at seeing her joyful expression. 

“Absolutely! It’s so beautiful and winter is always so cozy at home. Dad and I usually cuddle up and watch old movies when it’s really cold outside. You know, drinking hot chocolate, many pillows and blankets around us, it’s kinda our thing. Oh, and we still have one of those old TVs with an even older receiver- the one for VHS cassettes?” She laughed, “I guess he isn’t a fan of modern technology.” 

Jean laughed with her while he pushed the wheelchair through the snow and towards a nearby bench. “That’s kinda cute.” 

“It’s not cute, it’s embarrassing. When I invite friends over it’s either _Titanic_ or _The Lion King_ or some other Disney movie.” She cringed a little, “I’ve watched them all at least a few dozen times already, so that gets kinda boring after some time.” 

He chuckled and nodded in agreement, “I guess that’s true. Although I think _Titanic_ is one of the best movies ever. I kinda like it? Call me soppy if you want but I really like the movie.”

That made Pieck snort. “You only like it ‘cause of the scene Rose is naked.” 

“Wha-?! No! That’s not it!” Jean pouted and soon stopped the wheelchair, walking around so he stood in front of Pieck instead with crossed arms. “I’m not some pervert. I just like the idea of two people falling so deeply in love. It’s a well written movie and deserved the eleven Oscars.” He emphasized. 

“Mhm, of course.” She teased him, making Jean point a finger at her. 

“I’m serious,” he warned with narrowed eyes. Pieck threw her hands up in surrender and Jean broke his little act by a small laugh. “Alright, I’m getting us coffee. It’s only gonna take a minute.” 

He then turned and hurried back into the big building. Jean really wasn’t a fan of cold weather and probably would never get used to it. He lived his whole life in Germany already and the cold was the only thing he didn’t like about the country. It was so rough and merciless sometimes. 

It only took him a few minutes to buy two cups of coffee from the machine near the reception before he was already hurrying out again, still being careful so he wouldn’t accidentally spill the hot beverage over his hands. When he arrived back by Pieck’s side, he handed her one of the cups and used his sleeve to brush away the snow laying on the bench. He took a seat afterwards and held the cup with both hands in hopes to warm them. 

“Are you freezing?” He asked, turning so he was facing the other. Her cheeks and nose were pink and it seemed she had the same idea of warming her hands on the cup. 

“I’m fine,” she assured softly and took a few sips of her coffee. “Ah… this feels good.” 

“Being outside?” Jean asked curiously. 

But Pieck only shook her head, “having company,” she corrected, staring down into her cup, “Dad works all day. He comes to visit me every day but he’s always so exhausted and mostly can only stay an hour or two. My friends are going to university too and need to study for the exams. They’ve been able to come visit me only twice.” 

Pieck sighed and shrugged a bit, “I’m not sad about it, I know they will visit me whenever they can. It’s just really boring, especially in the morning and noon. That’s the only thing I don’t like about this place.” She thought out loud and drank some more of her coffee. 

“Yeah, I can understand that.” Jean hummed before giving Pieck a smile, “you can always befriend the other patients next door. They’re basically stuck here with you so maybe that’s a good way to kill time and occupy yourself while also getting to know new people. Your back is healed enough for you to move around a bit and I’m sure the nurses won’t mind.” 

“True, haven’t thought about that yet.” She smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“A friend of mine is here too, he’s a famous boxer. I’m sure you know him. His name is Eren Jaeger.” 

That made Pieck gasp. “Oh! Actually, I do. His brother Zeke is one of my close friends. What is he doing here?” 

“Really?” Jean looked amused to know that Pieck was friends with Eren’s brother. How come he never met her before? “The idiot broke his leg after slipping in the snow two days before you came. I told him to be careful but he’s kind of very stubborn,” he chuckled. 

“That’s adorable,” she giggled. 

Jean looked down to check the time and had to frown a little. His breaks were always only thirty minutes and much time was spent getting ready, so they needed some time to make it back to Pieck’s room and all. “My break is almost over, we should head back inside.” 

“What a shame,” the ravenette pouted for a moment but was sure to smile right after. “Well, I guess it can’t be helped. Let’s go back inside.” 

Jean stood up with a nod and tossed their empty paper cups into the trash before he stepped behind the wheelchair and began pushing the girl back into the building. The way to Pieck’s room was rather quiet and so they soon arrived. 

He stopped the wheelchair and took the coat and scarf Pieck handed him to hang up on the heater for them to dry from the snow. He also took the blanket and draped it over the heater as well since much snow landed on it. But he decided to let Pieck keep the socks on in case the room was too cold for her- she could take them off any time she wanted. 

When Jean was about to help Pieck stand, he was a little confused to see her raise her arms up towards him. “Huh?” He tilted his head, much to Pieck’s amusement. 

“I want you to carry me onto the bed.” She made grabby hands for him, almost like a toddler. 

Jean was taken aback by her request and quickly broke eye contact, a faint blush creeping onto his face. Was it a serious request or was Pieck just messing with him? Judging by the way her arms stayed up, he guessed it was the former. And Jean surely wouldn’t complain about it, so he leaned down and scooped the short girl into his strong arms like a princess. 

Her arms wrapped around his neck and it was the closest they’ve been this far. They stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds before Jean remembered to move and carried _his_ princess over to the bed. 

It was the shortest date he ever had but Jean was already so smitten with Pieck. Her presence was so calm and he found himself loving it to listen to her voice. Just looking at her gave him butterflies in the stomach. 

The strong male made sure to set the girl down gently and pulled the blanket up to cover her legs and abdomen with it, tucking her in properly. 

“Thank you,” she hummed softly and leaned back into her pillow. 

Jean smiled and stood straight again once he found he covered enough of Pieck to not make her freeze. “Are you warm enough? Do you feel cold anywhere- should I get you a second blanket?” 

Pieck laughed softly. “One blanket is enough, Jean. But my lips are really cold, do you know a way to warm them?” 

“Oh, of course. I’m gonna get you some tea!” Jean suggested quickly, and walked over to grab the wheelchair. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said with a smile and left the room afterwards. 

Pieck was dumbfounded for sure but couldn’t help but giggle to herself. “How cute,” She murmured to herself after Jean left. 

  
  
  


After his shift ended, Jean gave his friend Eren a visit to update him on his quite successful date. In his opinion, it was a very nice break he could enjoy with good company. It strengthened and deepened his feelings towards Pieck, made him realize that she was the woman of his dreams, the one he wanted to spend his life with. 

Probably a bit too hasty but it was the way Jean felt. 

“You’re such a jackass.” Eren scoffed and flicked Jean’s forehead. 

He shoved Eren’s hand away and scowled. “Hah? What’re you talking about? I’m telling you it worked great!” 

“She wanted you to kiss her, dumbass. Why would a girl say her lips are cold?” 

“Because!” He cut himself off and realized soon after that Eren made a point. It made sense now. “Dammit…” 

Eren could only laugh and pat Jean’s back. “Well, think of it that way: If she still wanna kiss you tomorrow, she doesn’t care about your stupidity.” 

“...I’m not here tomorrow.”

“Right.” Eren hummed, remembering that Jean only worked three to maximal four days a week at the hospital, depending on the schedule and his university. “Well, did you at least ask her for her number?” 

Jean opened his mouth, then closed it. Now he really felt dumb. 

“Hah! What? How can you forget to ask a girl for her number?” 

“I just forgot, okay?!” Jean huffed and frowned at the ground. “And my next shift is in three days…” he added a little sadly. 

Eren gave him another pat. Whether it was out of pity or encouragement, that only Eren knew. “Well, I guess you only have two options now.” 

At that, Jean looked up, curious and just a bit hopeful that Eren would give him good advice. 

“One,” he lifted one finger, “you wait these long, lonely three days and ask her on your next shift.” The second finger. “Or two, you go and ask her now.” 

Jean blinked slowly. “Wouldn’t it be kind of embarrassing to ask her now..?”

“Dude, you already embarrassed yourself today. What difference does it make now? And you can just say something like you had to hurry earlier and couldn’t ask her then. Anything would make sense with that tiny brain of yours.” 

“Hey! I’m gonna be a doctor soon!” 

“Yeah. A doctor who has no idea how to talk with girls,” Eren shrugged. 

It made Jean pout but he didn’t protest this time. Pieck was making him feel so lightheaded, he couldn’t think straight near her. He really didn’t want to be separated from her for three days, especially after he heard how lonely she felt during the day. 

If he had her number, they could chat all day. Jean could text her between lessons, maybe they could even call each other. That’d be nice. That’d be really, really nice. 

“Alright, I’m gonna ask her now.” Jean decided, still a bit nervous but determined for sure. If he wanted Pieck to be his girlfriend, he had to do something for it to happen. So he stood up and threw his bag over his shoulder, shooting his friend a grin. 

“Break a leg- well, not literally.” Eren chuckled before he glanced at his own leg with a little frown. “Speaking of, when will I get out of here?” 

Jean glanced over at Eren’s leg in thought. “A week or two at least. We still need to do some examinations, to see what’s really wrong. A pity you can’t just heal your leg out of nothing.” He joked, making Eren crack a smile. 

“True, true,” he nodded. “Well, as long as I don’t peg out before you get a girlfriend, I’ll be fine. You’re lost without me.” 

Jean chuckled. “Can’t argue with that. Make sure you don’t bite the dust until then.” He ruffled Eren’s hair playfully and then walked over to the door. After giving Eren a last wave and wishing him a good night, Jean left and closed the door behind himself. 

  
  
  


He began walking a few doors down the hallway, towards where Pieck’s room was. Her and Eren were on the same station and separated by a handful of rooms. It wasn’t very far. Once he stood in front of the girl’s room, he checked the time quickly. It was already late but Jean still hoped that she was awake. If not, it was just bad luck. 

So he knocked on the door first, loud enough to be heard but still quiet in case she was sleeping. When he heard the soft “come in”, Jean sucked in a breath and entered the room. As soon as his eyes laid on Pieck, a smile came to his lips. 

“Oh, Jean. What a pleasant surprise.” The ravenette smiled and put down the book she was reading. 

He walked inside and decided to take a seat on the chair next to her bed. It felt weird asking her for her number when he was looking down at her from so far up. “I wanted to see how you’re doing before going home.” He scratched the back of his neck, a little sheepishly. 

“How charming.” 

“Well, and I wanted to, uh, ask you for your number…?” 

“My number?” Pieck repeated. 

“Yeah. If you don’t mind? To chat and keep in touch and all.” He averted his gaze. 

Pieck still smiled as she reached for something in the drawer of her table. “I think that’s a good idea.” She agreed while tapping a few things on her phone, handing it out for Jean afterwards. “You can save your number here. Give me your phone too.” 

The brunet unlocked his phone and they swapped them out. As he typed down his number, he glanced up to see Pieck handing him his phone back. He quickly finished with typing in his name before he gave Pieck her phone back and looked down at his own. 

**_Piecky_ ** _☃️🍪_

How cute, Jean thought in his head. He hadn’t even used any emojis or smileys in his name, he just plainly typed it down. He rarely used any emojis, though he started liking them now suddenly…

“Wonderful,” Pieck hummed after she finished with her phone and put it aside. “Did you want to go home now? I don’t wanna hold you up or anything.” 

Jean shook his head - a bit too quick to be considered a calm reaction - and scratched the back of his neck, a small blush rising to his cheeks. “Don’t worry, I like being here. And I’ll still catch my train if I leave in ten minutes so it’s all good.” 

That made Pieck smile and move over so there was some room right next to her on the bed. She patted that spot and gave Jean a soft smile. “Well then, come sit next to me. I feel like talking to my doctor when you sit there.” She chuckled. 

Jean, understanding what she meant, stood up and took a seat on the bed instead. He made sure there was still plenty of room for Pieck to sit comfortably and looked at the beauty right in front of him. Now that it was night, the room was only illuminated by the lights outside. It gave the room a very alluring atmosphere. 

And Pieck looked so beautiful, being bathed in the moonlight like that. It made his heart beat faster while he took in all of Pieck’s gorgeous features. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” 

Jean’s eyes grew to the size of saucers and he immediately stared somewhere else into the room. His face was burning. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to stare! I just-!”

He was interrupted by Pieck’s laugh and shot her a playful glare. “You’re too much,” she giggled, “but I’m actually serious. Lend me your phone,” she stretched out her open hand and waited expectantly. 

Hesitantly, Jean pulled out his phone and placed it into Pieck’s hand after unlocking it. She searched for the camera app and soon held the phone up in front of them. “Come closer,” she urged gently and Jean had no complaints. 

He moved to sit closer to Pieck and let her adjust her position as well. She had one arm around him and pulled him closer to herself that way for a hug, Jean raising an arm to wrap around her petite frame in return. She just so happened to fit perfectly in his arms. 

When she found a good angle, she counted to three and took a couple of pictures, checking them afterwards to see how they turned out. The room was dark but their faces were visible on the selfies, and she was pretty satisfied with it. 

“Is there a good one?” Jean asked curiously and peeked at his phone. 

Pieck sent the pictures to herself and grinned, “they’re perfect. Your camera is so much better than mine!” She put Jean’s phone down then and leaned into his embrace as she looked over his face, her gaze trailing down his chest and arms. 

Jean noticed that but said nothing. He watched how Pieck reached for one of his hands and let her take it. She began playing with his fingers and trailed her delicate fingers over the skin of his forearm, much to Jean’s liking. He took it a step further by intertwining their fingers and giving Pieck a gentle squeeze. 

They both smiled and Pieck used this opportunity to move forward and rest her head on Jean’s shoulder. He didn’t even tense one bit and felt his chest swell with a comfortable warmth, the warmth also spreading across his cheeks. Here they were, sitting so close to each other, so close they could even hear and feel each other’s breath. His grip on her tightened in a protective way. 

Without thinking too much, Jean rested his head on top of Pieck’s and caressed her back, mainly the area that he knew got hurt. He could stay like that forever, he felt like in heaven. 

His thumb rubbed over her knuckles, drawing little circles on her much smaller hand. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, thinking that he had to voice his thoughts at one point. 

“I look half dead,” Pieck argued with a chuckle, “you should see me on a regular day. I’m sure you’d like me more in casual clothes, not in a hospital gown.” 

“You’re gorgeous,” Jean insisted and pulled away to remove the arm wrapped around her, using his hand to cup her face tenderly. The other hand kept ahold of Pieck’s. “I don’t care about what you wear. And you don’t look half dead or whatever. I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” 

Pieck averted her gaze this time but leaned into the warm hand on her cheek. “...That’s a bit exaggerated, don’t you think?” 

Jean’s smile grew. He loved the embarrassed look on Pieck’s face and lifted her head to be able to see all of it. He could see the faint blush adorning her cheeks, could see the way she lightly nibbled on her lower lip. His heart was thumping faster in his chest again. Seeing Pieck like that did things to him and he was so tempted to kiss her. 

Then he began wondering why he didn’t. Eren said it was obvious this was what Pieck wanted earlier that day and after they exchanged numbers and cuddled a bit, he was only further convinced that Pieck wanted this as much as him. So he began inching closer, keeping a close eye on her reactions to look for any signs of discomfort. 

Pieck looked up at him and gave Jean’s hand a squeeze as she closed her eyes and tilted her head further up to meet Jean’s lips. 

They were this close to actually kiss when, suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Jean shot up immediately and pulled both hands back to make it look like he was standing all the time. 

“-And that’s why it’s important for you to regularly move your legs.” He randomly blurted out as a nurse walked into the room. 

“Mr. Kirschtein, didn’t your shift end thirty minutes ago?” 

Jean laughed nervously and grabbed his bag, red as a cherry upon almost being caught. “Yes, that’s true! That’s why I need to leave now!” He looked at Pieck who was giggling behind her hands, seemingly very amused by the whole situation. 

He gave the two a quick wave before leaving the room. Once he was at a good distance to Pieck’s room, he let out a big sigh and hit his own head. “Idiot!” They almost kissed! They were so close to kissing but didn’t only because of that nurse. Why did she need to come right then?! He should’ve leaned in to kiss Pieck earlier. Oh, how bad he wanted to feel her lips on his own. They looked so soft and full…

Whether he would get in trouble for kissing one of the patients? He didn’t know if there were any rules and honestly didn’t want to risk his job and studies to find out. So he’d have to keep it a secret. If everything went well, Pieck would get to leave in about a week. And if it all worked well between them, they could still have a relationship in private. There were no rules against that, were there? It’d be private then, so they could do whatever they wanted. 

The next chance he would get to kiss Pieck would be in three days… way too long for him. But he didn’t have any choice.

**Author's Note:**

> [my Tumblr](https://mimirexx.tumblr.com/)


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